Tim Cook stepped down as Apple CEO, but the ‘Trump whisperer’ isn’t going anywhere

Tim Cook may be giving up Apple’s top job, but the company isn’t letting its longtime CEO fall far from the tree just yet.

Cook, who handed the CEO title to longtime hardware chief John Ternus on Tuesday , will stay on as executive chair for the tech company, earning an annual salary of $2 million effective Sept.

26.

As chair, Cook will continue assisting with certain aspects of Apple, including “ engaging with policymakers around the world ,” the company said in April when it announced his new role.

Part of the reason Cook may stay on at Apple is that during his 15 year tenure, he became a sort of “Trump whisperer” in navigating the company’s relationship with the president.

Cook earned the nickname “Trump whisperer” for his ability to strike deals and keep things smooth with the president, as seen through both his tariff negotiations and this year’s CEO transition.

Cook even said he’d continued to manage the company’s relationship with not only Trump but also the Chinese government, according to Bloomberg .

Those relationships have become increasingly important to Apple as its sprawling Asian supply chain puts the company in the middle of Trump’s push to use tariffs to bring more manufacturing to the U.S.—and leaves it navigating tensions between Washington and Beijing.

His package won’t be limited to the $2 million annual comp either—he was approved for an equity award with a target value of $45 million, according to a regulatory filing .

Cook leaves the CEO job after 15 years at Apple’s helm, having taken over shortly before cofounder Steve Jobs’ death in 2011.

During his tenure, Apple’s market capitalization grew from roughly $347 billion to $4.6 trillion , all while increasingly navigating government alongside products and operations.

How Tim Cook became the ‘Trump whisperer’ Cook figured out relatively early how to get Trump’s ear.

“He’s the one that calls me,” Trump told reporters in 2019 when he was asked why he had a good relationship with Cook compared with other tech executives.

At the time, tariffs were a problem.